Usually I write the whole guard a letter at Chapter 9 Championships to wrap up the season. I never feel motivated enough to do more than that, but this season is one of many firsts; a Maryland State Championship, a trip to All Chapter Championships in Wildwood, and now a mushy letter BEFORE the end of the season.
In 1997, I taught my very first indoor guard at Wilmington High School. No other guard could ever compare to my unit in my mind. I was a proud and bragging Director everywhere I went. In their first and only year of competition (the school closed its doors forever in June of 1997), WHS came in 5th out of 14 Scholastic A guards at Chapter 9 Championships and earned a Superior Rating with a score of 96 on their band trip to Atlanta, GA. I thought that no other unit would ever love this activity as much as them or capture my heart like they did.
Unity Winter Ensemble was born in 1999. Their first year of competition was a rough one filled with adversity. I was teaching Glasgow and Unity while marching my last year for The Visual Arts Production Company. Unity was on the farthest of back burners for me. After all, I had only started teaching Unity as a favor to the Elkton High School Band Director, Paul Humphrey. They were the least of my concerns that year.
In the last few years, Unity made a huge leap on my priority list. No more Glasgow High School. No more Visual Arts. I had finally found the place where I belonged. I knew I wasn't leaving for a long, long time. Yes, it's true...I have been married to this program for as long as I can remember, but now something even more wonderful has come my way. I have finally found the group of people who surpass my very first love - Wilmington High School Indoor Guard. I have found the guard members, floor crew, staff and parents that come together to complete me.
Unity Winter Ensemble, you are my soulmate.
Thank you for putting up with my "moments", my attitude, my not-so-nice criticism. Thanks for showing me how to love my sport again. Thank you for getting the attention of everyone around you and making them love your show as much as you do....including me.
Always,
Mary
Dear Unity Winter Ensemble,
This Saturday, April 24th is Chapter 9 Championships at Brandywine High School. I would like to take this opportunity to explain to you how big of an event this really is. To some of you, this is just another competition before we go to All Chapter Championships in Wildwood, NJ; however, this day is much bigger than "just another competition." It's bursting with a number of emotions (you may even see some tears from those staff members that NEVER cry).
Saturday is a day full of tradition and meaning for all the people who have been involved in Unity Winter Ensemble in the past. This weekend, we are saying good-bye to three very important people: your captains, Sarah Brooks, Lauren Meriano, and Lindsay Carbone. I hope you understand what this day means to the three of these people, and I you help them to understand how important they are to you, both as leaders and as peers. This weekend is when it's all going to come together for those who are new as well as for those who are leaving. This is the moment that the whole season is based on. Not the first show, not Maryland States, and not Wildwood.
Sarah, Lindsay, and Lauren, we will miss you so much next year, but we hope you realize that you have made your mark on Unity Winter Ensemble and now it's time to move to a higher level, experience new ideas, and explore different techniques (assuming that you will continue with guard). On a more personal note, I love you all with all my heart and this year is probably going to be the hardest year EVER at Chapter 9 Championships. I know I speak for the whole staff when I pass along this advice - make every moment count - before you know it, it'll all be over.
Yours Forever,
Mary
April 24, 2004
Dear Unity Winter Ensemble,
Today is the day you take the floor for Chapter 9 Championships at Brandywine High School. Today is the day that you bask in all the accomplishments that this unit has achieved in the past as well as this season. Today is the day that you show everyone why you’re Maryland State Champions and why you’re going to be Chapter 9 Champions. Today is the day that everyone realizes why you’re going to make more than one appearance in Wildwood next weekend and how the top three positions should be scared of Unity Winter Ensemble. Today is the day you show everyone what you know and let your abilities shine like they never have before.
Today is also the day to dedicate yourselves to the seniors, to let them know how much you’re going to miss them next year, and how grateful you are to have had your lives touched by such extremely talented students. Today you will see the staff cry, laugh, and then cry again. Today you will see what it truly means to be a part of Unity Winter Ensemble and partake in all of our traditions. Today you will understand what all your hard work has come to be and how much further you can take your knowledge. Today you will understand how much I love each and every one of you with all my heart because today is the day pride will come pouring out of every orifice.
Today is definitely a day to celebrate who you are as performers and who you are as members of this organization. Today is the day to let the world know who Unity Winter Ensemble is and what we believe in. Today is the day that the Unity Stick makes the most sense because today you become all that Unity represents – a winter guard not afraid to accomplish hard work, who will not compromise their integrity to get the score, who doesn’t care what five people think of their show, who exudes confidence and who teaches everyone around them what it’s like to support each other. Today is the day that we understand what it’s like to support our competition unconditionally because we are a classy organization that loves what they do. Today is the day to achieve unity in the ensemble and live up to our name.
I love you all with all my heart. You are my life. You are my soul mates. You are what makes me get up in the morning. You are what I think about on my free time. You are what makes my heart beat every day. You are my students and you are my friends. You are definitely my family. Thank you for teaching me more than what I will ever teach you.
Yours,
Mary
April 29, 2004
Dear Unity Winter Ensemble,
It’s finally here! The weekend we’ve all been working toward all season long! This is not what you think it is today. This is not a show that we HAVE to win. This is not a show that we HAVE to prove ourselves. This is not a show that we HAVE to nail to get to finals.
It is a show that we HAVE to enjoy ourselves. It is a show that we HAVE to prove to everyone that we love what we do no matter what five people in black and white think. It is a show that we HAVE to nail for ourselves because we’ve worked hard and we deserve to have an ace performance.
You’re not on the floor alone today. Fly, Mike, Darryl, and RD will be there. Melissa and Jenn will be there. Janine will be there. I will be there. We’re all living vicariously through the 13 members of this organization that will be on display for everyone to decide whether or not a finals performance is in our future. I say – FORGET all that. Today is about YOU. It’s about YOUR hard work, YOUR dedication, YOUR bruises. It’s about how much YOU love YOUR show. It’s about how fun and exciting this experience is for YOU.
Go out there today and have a blast! Smile. Spin together. Love yourselves. Love your show. Nail your tosses. Dance your hearts out. Wink. Blow kisses to each other. Lift up, look up, and smile some more. The audience loves you! And if they don’t…MAKE THEM!
All my love,
Mary
April 29, 2004
Dear Unity Winter Ensemble Floor Crew,
Without all your hard work, brute strength, and dedication to Unity Winter Ensemble, we would not be here today – in Wildwood, NJ – getting ready to perform in Independent Novice Prelims at All Chapter Championships. You are a part of history today. As this unit writes another chapter in our story you are an integral part of our success. This is just as much about you as it is the 13 marching members and 5 staff, and I am glad to have you be a part of our memories.
Thank you for all your insight….for painting backdrops….lugging floors….taking care of our equipment….making the staff laugh….cheering us on….and being the driving force behind the “big picture.” Thank you for coming to rehearsals… competitions ….parent shows to show your undying support. Thank you for coming hurt….tired….sad….or just plain out of it. I know that you all have other obligations, and I love that Unity is on your minds as much as Unity is on mine.
Thank you for bringing humor to our story….most of our funny stories center around some floor crew member. Thank you for making signs, chucking flags (without an argument….and with some sort of scary enthusiasm), finding CD players, picking up tapes and CDs from the sound man, and picking up any other slack that there is in order to make this the most tightly run organization in all of Chapter 9.
Today, make sure you soak this all in as much as the marching members because it’s just as much about a well run floor crew as it is about a well run show. I love you guys! I’m so glad to have all of you back with Unity next year.
All my love,
Mary
May 1, 2004
Dear Unity Winter Ensemble,
I never doubted it. Not for a second. That’s why I wrote this letter you’re reading before we even left for this wonderful experience in Wildwood, NJ.
I am so proud of each and every one of you. I am going to be able to finally climb the bleachers inside the Wildwood Convention Center and watch UNITY WINTER ENSEMBLE in Independent Novice Finals! I’m going to be able to turn to the person next to me and say “Those are my girls!” I’m going to be able to hear YOUR spiel sheet, YOUR names. I’m going to be able to watch you have an experience that this entire staff never had, and I love that!
You should be swelling with pride right now. Years from now, I’m going to have to tell this “Cinderella” story to those who come after you. I’ll get to tell them all about the guard who went from a 58.7 at their first show to a 78.6 at Chapters. I’m going to get to tell them about the upset at Maryland States that even I thought we were out of the running for. I’m going to have to tell them all about retreat at Chapter 9 and 5 Championships when you finally pulled ahead of a guard who had been beating you all season.
Today is all about fun…so go out there and show them what you’re made of! Soak it all in and remember each and every moment like it’s your last.
Yours,
Mary